Jet skier dead after rock archway collapsed when American tourist jumped off it

A jet skier has been crushed to death by a world-famous rock archway in Malta after an American tourist jumped off of it and into the sea.

The body of a 26-year-old Chinese man, who has not yet been named, was found pinned to the seabed after large rocks collapsed onto his jet ski as he rode underneath it.

The archway, located on the island of Comino, collapsed at around 7pm on Saturday shortly after a 32-year-old American man jumped off it, according to the Times of Malta.

A 27-year-old Chinese woman, who was also on the jetski, suffered serious injuries and was hospitalised following the incident.

After being taken to Gozo General Hospital, doctors reportedly told her that her injuries were not life-threatening.

The American was rescued by a passing boat, but did not need to go to hospital.

The Kissing Elephants formation is on Comino, which is a small island northwest of Malta’s mainland.

It has been popular with tourists who rented jet skis in nearby waters and were able to jump off of it into the sea.

The island is also home to the Blue Lagoon, which is a famous location where thousands visit every year to swim.

Following the man’s death, a Maltese magistrate has opened an inquiry into the incident as investigators continue to look into the tragedy.

On Saturday, a spokesperson for the Armed Forces of Malta said: ‘A search was initiated to locate the third person. Divers from Gozo Command and the 3rd Regiment were deployed to assist in the search.

‘Divers subsequently confirmed that a person was found trapped underwater and showed no signs of life.’